Author Archives: UN Women

World bank funding for grants and loans, 2000-2010

Only a very small fraction of World Bank funding has been allocated to gender equality focused rule of law projects over the past decade. Source: Minaya 2011.

Women’s rights to property ownership and inheritance, by region

Women’s property and inheritance rights vary widely between regions. Source: UN Women calculated regional averages using women’s right to ownership and inheritance data from World Bank 2010f. Note: Based on a World Bank review of codified laws and regulations in … Continue reading

Key Facts

173 countries guarantee paid maternity leave 125 countries have outlawed domestic violence 117 countries outlaw sexual harassment in the workplace 117 countries have equal pay laws 115 countries guarantee women’s equal property rights.

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Perceptions of domestic violence

In 17 out of 41 countries, a quarter or more people think that it is justifiable for a man to beat his wife. Source: World Values Survey Association 2010. Note: The World Values Survey asks respondents to rate on a … Continue reading

Legal reform in Nepal

Over the past two decades, legal reforms have transformed the landscape for gender equality in Nepal, ensuring greater economic security for women, protecting them from violence, safeguarding their sexual and reproductive rights and amplifying their voices in decision-making. While Nepal’s … Continue reading

Prevalence, laws and perceptions of domestic violence

Where there are laws in place on domestic violence, prevalence is lower and fewer people think that violence against women is justifiable. Source: UN Women analysis, using legislation and prevalence data in Annex 4 and perception data from World Values … Continue reading

Turkish women’s campaign for reform

Over the past decade, Turkey has witnessed major legislative reform on women’s rights, in large part driven by advocacy and lobbying by the women’s movement. The new civil code, passed in 2001 is based on the principle of equal rights … Continue reading

Maternal mortality and unsafe abortion, by region

One in seven maternal deaths is caused by unsafe abortion. Source: Unsafe abortion data from WHO 2007. Maternal mortality data are UN Women calculated unweighted averages using data from WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and the World Bank 2010. Abortion laws are … Continue reading

Equal pay for work of equal value

Although 117 countries have equal pay laws, wage gaps remain wide and persistent across the globe. Establishing the right to be paid the same as men is a struggle that women have taken through the courts. Novartis, USA In 2010, … Continue reading